Mid May Upper Delaware River Fishing Report

May 13, 2009

Mid May is here and I've just come off the river for the first day since April 15. The season has been very good up to this point, different for sure, but none the less good to excellent fishing.

The late April three day long heat wave that hit the Northeast resulted in the Hendrickson's blowing off the Main Stem of the Delaware rather quickly. By the end of April we were already fishing March browns on the Delaware and the East Branch. The Upper West Branch is still seeing some decent Hendrickson hatches.

Due to lack of rain (we are somewhere around a 6" deficit for the year) and the ridiculous water management plan that is currently in effect, the Delaware River System has been experiencing below normal water flows. You can check the real time flows of the upper river here: Delaware River Water Flows Fortunately, except for the short warm spell, air temperatures have been mostly below normal with most nights flirting with freezing temperatures. The daytime temperatures have also been below normal and the long term forecast shows this cool trend continuing.

We've been catching some giant browns and rainbows regularly, but more importantly I've been seeing more baby rainbows and browns in the main river than I've seen in quite a few years. It looks like the last two years have had some successful spawns. The lower than normal water flows are still high enough to allow us to float the river, but the low clear water makes getting close to rising fish a challenge that is usually reserved for sunny summer days. Twelve foot 6X leaders have been the minimum on the flatter water, especially on the brighter days.

Right now, if you have plans to fish the Upper Delaware System you'll need to have a variety of bugs with you to cover all the bases. Emergers, duns and spinners will cover the top, while nymphs and wet flies should keep you busy in between the hatches. On the Main Stem and East Branch look for March browns, Grey Fox, tan caddis, egg laying caddis and sulfurs. American shad have made their way from the ocean and can be real fun when offering sight fishing opportunities. The upper West Branch still has Henricksons hatching and still showing some apple caddis. As you go down river expect the West Branch to start exhibiting the same hatches as the main river. The wading angler will most likely do best on the branches. The wading is easy and there are more than enough fish around.

You can check what should be or could be hatching on this Hatch Chart

New Release Program Proposed to Stop Flawed FFMP

FRIENDS OF THE UPPER DELAWARE RIVER
PRESS RELEASE - May 5, 2009

New Release Program Proposed to Stop Flawed FFMP From Harming Upper Delaware River and Endangering Downstream Communities

Hancock, NY -- Friends of the Upper Delaware River called today for major changes to the schedule of releases from the New York City reservoirs. "The City's practice of hoarding water creates unnecessarily full reservoirs, deprives the river of flows needed to sustain the fishery and cold water ecosystem, and creates a dangerous flood risk potential all the way downstream to Trenton," said Dan Plummer, chairman of FUDR. Al Caucci, a noted author and expert on aquatic insects in the upper Delaware River and its tributaries, added, "The release pattern in April is especially damaging to aquatic life, fluctuating from 1500 cfs to 110 cfs and then back to 1500 cfs as the Cannonsville Reservoir goes from 100% to 99.9% and back to 100%. The last weekend in April releases to the West Branch were lower than they have been in years. Fishermen, businessmen, and flood victims wonder in amazement how officials could have come up with such a damaging plan!" Susan Alper, co-owner of the Bluestone Grill in Hancock lamented, "When the rivers go down, so does our business."

Low flows coupled with sunny hot weather over the last weekend of April caused temperatures downriver to climb to levels that stressed the trout and likely killed many of the cold water insects on which they feed. Dr. Robert Bachman, a fisheries biologist and commissioner of the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, explained, "The trout begin to seek refuge in colder water and stop feeding as water temperatures reach or exceed 68 degrees F. Temperatures above this rapidly become lethal for cold water insects."

Commenting on New York City's reservoirs release program, Cathy Myers, deputy commissioner of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, said, "No one believes this schedule is ideal for fisheries management." She went on to state, "We remain committed to improving sustainability of this remarkable fishery," and noted that the fish commissions of both Pennsylvania and New York are working on joint recommendations, "to make better use of the water we have available for fish habitat enhancement."

Lee Hartman, vice president of FUDR, announced, "On April 20, we presented to New York City and the governors in the four basin states a comprehensive proposal for a new release schedule for the next year. This proposal does not rely on any water that the City needs for its water supply. For the sake of the river and the economy of this region, we urge the government parties to adopt and implement it as quickly as possible. The cold water ecosystem of this river cannot survive under the current management policies without the significantly greater releases provided by our proposal. In the past, the upper Delaware River has been a destination for thousands of anglers each year from across the country. The decline of this great fishery and its unique wild rainbow population would be a devastating loss for everyone."

For further information, contact Dan Plummer at (607) 363 -- 7848.

Proposed Releases from New York City Delaware River Basin Reservoirs

The Friends of the Upper Delaware River, along with seven other conservation groups recently sent a letter to the Governors of NY, NJ, PA, DE and the Mayor of New York City, the Delaware Basin Commission and others with their proposal for water releases for 2009 & 2010.

The proposal would provide water to the Neversink, West Branch and East Branch rivers thereby also providing water to the Delaware River. Briefly, this proposal is based on NY City's planned shut down of of their Delaware aqueduct and utilizing excess water supplies for the benefit of the environment and the added relief from flooding that could occur. The complete letter is available at the following link: Proposed Releases from New York City Delaware River Basin Reservoirs for 2009-10

Some NY Stream Gauges to be Spared

At least eight United States Geologic Survey stream gauges of the fifty on the hit list to be discontinued are going to be kept operational. These USGS gauges were slated to be shut off due to New York City's budget crisis. NYC provided funding for them.

Important for flood prediction, one of the saved gauges is the 105 year old Port Jervis, NY gauge on the Delaware River. The eight saved gauges will be funded by the USGS with federal money.

Nine other stream gauges will also be spared for at last one year thanks to joint funding between several state and federal agencies. According to the USGS, all gauges used on the Delaware River by the National Weather Service will be kept operational, except the Callicoon, NY guage, which the USGS is still working to keep from closing.

Due to outrage by public officials, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection had previously agreed to keep two other stream gauges open, one in Delaware County and one in Ulster County.

One Bug™ Buzz in Hancock

The date is quickly approaching for the second annual One Bug™ fly-fishing fundraiser in Hancock.

The event, sponsored by Friends of the Upper Delaware River (FUDR), will be held Friday, April 24, at the Old Capital Theatre, 116 Front St. in Hancock.

Jim Costolnick owner of Border Water Outfitters fly shop in Hancock said “the first One Bug™fundraiser last April was an overwhelming success both financially and helping create new partnerships in our efforts”. Last years event raised about $21,000 from fishing team entry fees and an exciting auction. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation matched these funds dollar for dollar, and the $41,000 in total proceeds will be used to help restore Sands Creek and Cadosia Creek in the Hancock area.

Dan Plummer, chairman of FUDR, said the group wants to help make the tributaries safe from flooding.

“If we can get into these streams at the headwaters and work all the way down to where the streams meet the big river, we should be able to make a difference,” he said. “With thoughtful restoration, habitat will also be improved for the wild rainbow and brown trout. These wild trout count on the health of these creeks to spawn and allow the juvenile fish time to develop before heading back to the big rivers. This will be a win win project for residents and the fishery.

The three-day event was fashioned after the Jackson Hole One Fly fundraiser in Jackson, Wyo. The event there raised over $500,000 in 2008 and has helped the community with similar issues we face here.

Plummer said, “We see the One Bug™ as not only a tool to raise money for the area but also to help educate the public on what is happening in our community. There are many challenges we face and if we all band together we have a better chance of achieving our goals.”

FUDR is not just looking to help the rivers. The group also gave $5,000 to the Lourdes Clinic to provide better health care locally, $500 to the Loaves and Fishes Food Bank in Hancock and $1,300 to buy uniforms for the local youth wrestling team.

Local business owners say they noticed a boost to their businesses last April when the One Bug™ came to Hancock. Susan Alper, co-owner of the Bluestone Grill, said we all need to embrace the rivers because they are a primary attraction for those who visit the area.

“When the rivers are down and dry so is our business, we see a direct relationship between our success and the health of the rivers,” she said.

Plummer added, “The One Bug™ is a new way to get more people here in our shops spending money and seeing what the area has to offer, it really creates some positive energy.”

Michael Alper and Bruce Moore own the Old Capital Theatre on Front Street in Hancock, where the Friday night event was held last year. Michael Alper said the theatre looked great the way it was decorated for the event and that he and Bruce were more than happy to let FUDR use the space again this year.

“We are in full support of FUDR trying to help the community,” he said.

FUDR has been a leader in the battle to get a more efficient water-release plan in place from the NYC-owned reservoirs that will provide safety from flooding and a sustainable world-class fishery. The environmental group believes there is more than enough water behind the dams to satisfy all the needs of the fishery, protect residents from flooding and not deprive any NYC residents a drop of their drinking water.

One Bug™ includes a weekend-long fly-fishing tournament. All spots in the competition are taken, but FUDR invites everyone to join us on Friday, April 24, at the Old Capital Theatre. That event is open to the public and will include an open bar, dinner, live and silent auctions, entertainment and a one-year membership to FUDR.

Tickets are available online at fudr.org or from Theresa at Hancock Liquor.

Upper Delaware Power Line Project is History

The high power line project along the NY/PA section of the Upper Delaware River proposed by New York Regional Interconnect (NYRI) is not happening.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) ruled last month that they couldn't recoup their investment. NYRI decided to withdraw the project after losing their ability to recover the transmission costs from the ratepayers.

A large portion of the 190 mile long high power line would have followed the Delaware River down to Orange County, NY. Several groups have been fighting this project from the beginning due to the pristine river valley that was being put at risk.

Earlier this year, NY Con Ed, the company that would receive the power delivered by NYRI, spoke against the project claiming that it would do more harm than good. This contradicted NYRI claim that the $2 billion power line would deliver clean, cheap energy to its end users. Con Ed claimed that this would be negated by the costs imposed on their customers for transmission. They also claimed the project would adversely affect the systems reliability.

River Gauges May be Shut Down

The blame is being put on budget constraints, but whatever the reason, some 50 New York State United States Geologic Survey stream flow gauges are planned to be closed down. Some of these gauges could be closed in as little as three months from now, others by September 2010.

The Upper Delaware River System has three gauges that are planned to be closed in September 2010. The Cooks Falls gauge on the Beaverkill, in operation for 96 years; the Calicoon gauge on the Delaware River, in operation for 34 years and the Port Jervis gauge, operating for 105 years are scheduled to be history. Other imortant tributary gauges, such as the Oquaga Creek gauge are also on the hit list of closures with a scheduled closing date of September 30, 2009 . A complete list can be found at waterdata.usgs.gov/ny/nwis/rt

The USGS is looking for new funding partners for these gauges. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) provides funding for many of the gauges in the region and their decision to cut back is one of the triggers in the closings.

These gauges are important for managing recreational interests, but more importantly they help forecast floods and help manage disasters.

The effected gauges have the following notice on their websites: “Data collection at the following stream gages may be discontinued due to funding reductions from partner agencies. Although historic data will remain accessible, no new data will be collected unless one or more new funding partners are found. Users who can contribute funding for the non-Federal share of costs to continue operation of these stream gages should contact Rafael Rodriguez, Director of the USGS New York Water Science Center at 518/285-5658, rrodrigu@usgs.gov.”

Shimano Acquires PowerPro

NEWS RELEASE – for immediate distribution

SHIMANO AMERICAN ACQUIRES INNOVATIVE TEXTILES –
MAKER OF POWER PRO FISHING LINE

IRVINE, Calif. – December 31, 2008 – Shimano American Corporation, Irvine, Calif., has completed its agreement to acquire Innovative Textiles, Inc., the company best known as the makers of PowerPro braided fishing line, announces Dave Pfeiffer, Shimano American president.

While maintaining manufacturing operations and staff at its facility in Grand Junction, Colo., Pfeiffer notes the Innovative Textiles sales and marketing efforts will be transitioned to Shimano American’s operations in time for the ICAST show this coming July in Orlando.
“The extensive background that Konrad Krauland and his team at Innovative Textiles have in braiding and textile engineering is one of the key assets of our acquisition,” said Pfeiffer. “Krauland will join our management team as a vice president, focusing on production, coordinating manufacturing and new product development with Shimano offices worldwide.”
Pfeiffer further notes that Shimano will aggressively market the PowerPro branded products to the international sportfishing market. “While Konrad and Innovative Textiles have become a leader in braided fishing lines here in the U.S., the connection now with Shimano will allow us to grow the business throughout Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe and Latin America.
Established in 1992, Innovative Textiles introduced PowerPro braided fishing line to the market in 1997. The company first started making Spectra fiber braid for kite flying, plus Krauland and his engineering staff were involved with other companies who needed their braiding expertise for some of the first braided fishing lines.
“To be able to make that next big leap, from a strong brand in the U.S. fishing market to one that will have solid global presence, we couldn’t be happier now being part of Shimano American Corporation,” said Krauland. “As we integrate our Grand Junction operations into Shimano’s operation in Irvine and sales offices around the globe, we look forward to working on the next innovations in fishing line technology and other new products over the next years.”
Shimano American Corporation is the U.S.-based subsidiary of Shimano, Inc. a multi-national manufacturer of bicycle components and fishing tackle. It now has operations in Irvine, Calif., Grand Junction, Colo., Woodland, Wash., Louisville, Colo., Peterborough, Ontario, and Kirchzarten, Germany.
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Atlantic Salmon Fishing

I am really excited about sending this invitation to join me Atlantic salmon fishing on Quebec's Gaspe Peninsula this Sept 10th to 16th (six days fishing). This is one of those other great fishing destinations!

We will be fishing the Grand Cascapedia, Bonaventure and Petite Cascapedia Rivers in a combination of private water and limited access public water. These legendary salmon rivers are known for their clear water and sight casting opportunities for large sea run wild Atlantic salmon. I've been fortunate to fish these rivers in the past and look forward to again casting to the King of Game Fish.

These rivers are some of the special places still left in this world that have provided me with some outstanding memories. The Bonaventure was one of the first rivers I salmon fished on and continues to be one of my favorites. The merging of the Quebec Maritime and the rugged north country provides a stunning backdrop to this world class fishery. The Bonaventure is reputed to be the most pristine river east of the Canadian Rockies.

The Grand Cascapedia is one of the worlds most famous salmon rivers due in part to the particularly large and robust fish that return to this river each year. This majestic river consistently produces the largest Atlantic salmon in the province of Quebec, or all of Canada for that matter, as it cascades down the Chic-Choc mountain range through alder and spruce forest on its way to the sea. The history and traditions of salmon fishing run deep in the waters of the Cascapedia.

The Petite Cascapedia runs cold and clear throughout the season and like the Bonaventure, provides some outstanding sight fishing opportunities. It's the smallest of the three rivers providing an intimate setting to do battle with Salmo Salar. The Petite Cascapedia and the Bonaventure also enjoy a run of sea run brook trout.

One of the great features of this trip (in addition the great fishing) is that our host operates two of the finest fishing lodges in the world. Here are what some others have to say:

The Atlantic Salmon Journal: "a haven for gung-ho anglers."
Wild Steel Head & Salmon Magazine: "...class all the way ! The river was loaded with salmon.

The Angling Report: "...five star rating, and if there were six stars we would award them" "...the “Gold Standard” in Atlantic Salmon lodges!"

ESPN 2 Outdoors: "...the best Atlantic Salmon fishing to be had anywhere, everything was fantastic"

Included are lodging, meals, guides, and local ground transportation.

If you're interested in making this trip please call or email me for more details. This is not a high volume trip, so availability is limited.

Sporting Classics Award of Excellence

Orvis Honored With

Sporting Classics

Award of Excellence

Contact: Matt Coffey

matt@sportingclassics.net

(800) 849-1004 ext. 219

Orvis Endorsed Lodges Program has been named Sporting Classics’ Travel award winner as part of their ninth annual Awards of Excellence.

For more than 21 years the Orvis Endorsed Lodge, Outfitters, Expeditions, Guide Service and Guide Program has made planning a world-class wingshooting and fly-fishing experience easier for its customers. The program locates and researches the best sporting destinations in North America and passes that information along to potential clients. All operations are continually reviewed by Orvis staff and evaluated by visiting guests in critiques sent directly to Orvis. Each operation has its own character, but all share the same high standards including superb service, great location and personable, knowledgeable and professional guides.

The Endorsement program encompasses the following facets of sporting services: 51 fishing lodges, 26 wingshooting lodges, 39 outfitters, 14 expedition services, 16 guide services, 75 individual guides, 14 dog breeders and 6 dog trainers. The Orvis Company proudly recognizes the Endorsed Operations as the best destinations in North America for providing exceptional sporting experiences and world-class customer service synonymous with the Orvis Tradition.

For more information about the program, visit www.orvis.com. For more information about Sporting Classics, visit www.sportingclassics.net or call (800) 849-1004.